Dr. Brenda A. Allen named Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of Psychology at Winston-Salem State University

Dr. Brenda A. Allen

Dr. Brenda A. Allen, a developmental psychologist, seasoned administrator, academic leader, and prolific scholar with almost a quarter century of experience in higher education has been named Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).  Dr. Allen will also be a tenured member of the faculty, holding the title of Professor of Psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Work. Currently Dr. Allen holds the position of Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Diversity at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.  At a called meeting earlier today Dr. Allen’s appointment was approved unanimously by the executive committee of the WSSU Board of Trustees.

The selection and appointment of Brenda Allen is the culmination of a national search for the right leader to serve as chief academic officer of the University, and “I am absolutely thrilled that Brenda Allen has agreed to join the leadership team at WSSU, said Chancellor Donald J. Reaves.  “We are indeed fortunate to have been able to attract and recruit Dr. Allen to WSSU.  I am sure that she will provide the critical leadership that this University needs as it continues its transition from an exclusively undergraduate university to a graduate level institution with a focus on quality teaching and research,” said Reaves.  “The search committee and I sought the right person to assist me in leading this institution, and we found that person in Dr. Allen who brings with her a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service.  I am excited about her selection and look forward to working with her,” said Chancellor Reaves. Reaves added that “her experience will cultivate a sense of excitement and innovation on our campus.  She is the right person, in the right position, at the right time.”

Allen’s primary responsibility as Provost and chief academic officer is to provide executive level leadership for the institution as it pursues its academic mission.  Dr. Allen will be responsible to the Chancellor for the overall coordination and effective implementation of the University’s academic programs, and will exercise leadership in promoting quality instruction, research, and university and public service. She will have lead responsibility for developing and administering the academic policies and regulations of the University, and in collaboration with  other senior officers, she will have lead responsibility for the development of the University’s annual budget and long-term financial plans.

As Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, Dr. Allen will provide oversight and leadership of the following academic and operating units: the School of Business and Economics; the School of Education and Human Performance; the School of Health Sciences; the School of Graduate Studies and Research; the College of Arts and Sciences; and University College.  Other units reporting to the Provost include: Information Resources (IT and the Library); Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research; the Division of Lifelong Learning (Evening and Week-end Programs, Continuing Education, Distance Learning and Summer Session); the Honors College; the Registrar; the Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning; the Center for Community Safety; the Center for Health Disparities; and the Center for Design Innovations.

Prior to joining Brown University Dr. Allen held a number of academic and administrative positions at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.   Promoted through the ranks at Smith to Full Professor Dr. Allen served as the chair of the African American Studies Department, the Assistant to the President and Director of Institutional diversity, and Special Assistant to the Provost.

Prior to her tenure at Smith College Dr. Allen spent three years at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut where she held several positions, including Postdoctoral Fellow, Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Psychology, and Lecturer in the Departments of Psychology and African American Studies.

Dr. Allen is an active researcher and a prolific scholar.  Her credentials include numerous refereed journal articles, several book chapters, and a forthcoming book that is under contract. Dr. Allen’s research agenda is an active one and she has continued to publish while holding administrative positions, and has another book prospectus in the works.  She conducts basic research that is designed to assess the effects of culture on various cognitive processes, and she has focused her work on aspects of African American culture with the goal of informing school reform efforts geared towards addressing the disproportionately high rate of academic failure among many African American children.  Dr. Allen has also enjoyed success as a grant writer having received two grants both of which were in excess of $3 million.

Dr. Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lincoln University in Lincoln, PA, a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology and a doctorate in Developmental Psychology, both from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Dr. Allen will begin her duties At WSSU on July 1, 2009.